


Darlin' Don't Leave Me Alone

by sam4587



Series: Merthurweek2021 aka Attempts At Angst [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Era, Dying Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Good Morgana (Merlin), Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Kilgharrah being an Ass, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Poisoned Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Poisoning, Prince Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Season/Series 02, Serkets, Worried Merlin (Merlin), and for clarity because she's mentioned, anyway, as per usual, because she deserves it, he doesn’t seem to know how to do much else does he?, i think i got them all, kind of, merthurweek2021, she's not in here but I want that known
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 10:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30104235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam4587/pseuds/sam4587
Summary: Arthur gets hurt during a trip. Merlin won’t stop trying to save him until he succeeds.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merthurweek2021 aka Attempts At Angst [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2213214
Comments: 6
Kudos: 83
Collections: Merthur Week 2021





	Darlin' Don't Leave Me Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Merthurweek2021 day 3 – “We’re meant to be on the same side.” “We’ve never been on the same side”
> 
> I’m still not any better at writing summaries… Anyway. Enjoy!  
> Not beta’d, all mistakes are mine. If they bug you, feel free to point them out!
> 
> Disclaimer: The story is mine, BBC Merlin is not. Please do not repost.

Merlin can’t believe some of the things he’s willing to do for Arthur.

He’s a servant. Okay, to be fair, he’s a servant who’s also a warlock and apparently part of some prophecy or something, but still. _He’s a servant_.

And yet, he finds himself tagging along on all the ridiculous quests and trips Arthur takes. ‘I need to prove myself to the people, Merlin.’ ‘You wouldn’t understand responsibility, Merlin.’ ‘You don’t have a choice, Merlin.’

Yeah, well, fair enough, he doesn’t have a choice, and he’d probably still go with Arthur if he did, but _gods_ would he like to be safe for one moment. Just… one moment, one day of rest, one day where _no one tries to kill Arthur_.

All that to say, Arthur’s dying.

Again.

Merlin urges his horse forward as he holds the reins of Arthur’s horse in his free hand. The trees become a blur of green as he rushes through the woods, his magic leaping out in all directions to keep him safe and to tell him where to go. He doesn’t care if he’s seen; he knows his eyes are burning gold, but that’s hardly the most important thing on his mind right now.

Stupid quest. Stupid Uther. Stupid _serkets_.

Everything had been going so well. Arthur had set out on one of his I-need-to-prove-myself-to-the-people-quests, Merlin had followed him out of the castle, Arthur had discovered he’d followed him, Arthur had scolded him for it, Arthur had accepted Merlin wasn’t leaving, they’d continued their trip. You know, business as usual.

Yeah, not so much so.

Merlin had felt the magic flaring around him the minute they’d stepped out on the clearing. There was so much of it in the air, he could practically taste it in his mouth. Arthur, of course, hadn’t noticed anything, and had just stepped out of the woods before Merlin could stop him.

“Arthur! Wait!”

Arthur had turned around, and Merlin hadn’t been able to do anything but stare behind his prince. When Arthur finally caught up to his expression, it was too late; as he turned around, at least ten serkets appeared from the trees, and they’d attacked all at once. Arthur hadn’t even had time to draw his sword before at least three stingers disappeared in his body. Merlin had thrown all caution to the wind and knocked all of the beasts out with one surge of magic. He didn’t pay attention to the smoldering corpses, instead rushing to Arthur, just in time to catch him before he hit his head on the ground. Arthur had looked up at him, confusion in his eyes.

“Merlin,” he’d managed to whisper, before the poison coursing through his veins took hold and he lost consciousness.

-*-*-*-

Merlin sprints through the gates of the citadel, not taking notice of the guards trying to stop him. When they see the horse following him, Arthur draped across Llamrei’s back, they let him pass immediately, sounding the alarm bell for good measure. Merlin thanks them silently for it, because by the time he reaches the court yard, Gaius is waiting for them. He helps Merlin get Arthur down from the horse and they hurry him to Gaius’ quarters, King Uther trailing along behind them, asking questions. Merlin doesn’t realize he’s ignoring his King until Uther puts a hand on his arm to catch his attention.

“Boy! What happened?” he demands, and only then does Merlin manage to drag his eyes away from Arthur’s still form, lying on the cot in Gaius’ chamber with the old physician scattering around looking for his supplies. Gaius looks up when King Uther asks the question, nodding at Merlin as if to say he needs the information too. _Of course he does_ , Merlin thinks distantly, his blood still rushing in his ears and the adrenaline still coursing through his body. He swallows and shakes his head slightly in an attempt to clear it.

“I- There were-,” He stops and takes a deep breath. Uther reaches out again, seemingly to shake him to get answers, but Merlin moves away subtly and starts over. “Sire. Prince Arthur was stung by serkets. They surprised us, and there were too many to fend off. I saw at least three different ones sting him, perhaps more.”

Gaius makes a soft noise and nods to himself. He starts gathering herbs and preparing a potion, while King Uther watches from close by and refuses to let go of his son’s hand. After a few minutes of carefully dancing around his king, Gaius finally addresses him.

“Sire, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave. I’ll need my space, if I want to be of any use to the prince. I will let you know if anything changes.” Merlin recognizes the impatient stance his mentor has taken on, but he doubts Uther knows it for what it is; after all, the main reason why Merlin recognizes it is because of the many times he’s had that same expression directed at himself.

Uther lets go of Arthur’s hand and steps back. “Of course. I will… yes. I will leave you to it, Gaius. I trust you will take good care of him. Keep me updated, please.” Uther nods once, and then leaves the physician’s quarters. Merlin involuntarily relaxes the moment he’s out of the room. He approaches Gaius and looks at Arthur. The prince is incredibly pale, and his breathing is shallow and raspy.

“Gaius. Can you heal him?” Merlin asks softly, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice.

Gaius looks at Arthur before looking over at Merlin from his seat next to his patient. “I will do everything in my power to make sure he will live, Merlin. You have my word.” He gets up and returns to his table, where he starts preparing another potion. “Now, tell me exactly what happened, instead of the censured version you gave the King.”

Merlin sighs and starts telling what happened, this time mentioning the magic he’d felt in the air just before the serkets attacked Arthur. Gaius’ eyebrow climbs up when he mentions it.

“You felt the magic in the air? How is that possible? Have you felt such a thing before?”

Merlin hesitates for a moment as he thinks about that. “I… um, I think it’s… it was similar to the magic I felt on the Isle of the Blessed, when I was there with… Nimueh.” He’s quiet for a moment, thinking about that day, before shrugging it off. If he ponders on every bad thing that happens, he’ll never stop living in the past. “I felt the magic there too. But… that’s to be expected, right? Such a powerful place? Why would I feel the same thing in the middle of some random woods?”

Gaius considers his words briefly. “Well… are you sure they were random woods? Do you know where exactly you were at the time Arthur got stung?” he asks.

Merlin doesn’t have to think about his answer this time. “The Forrest of Ascetir. I _told_ Arthur it was a bad idea, but does he ever listen to me? No, he doesn’t, because he thinks I’m a bumbling, stupid servant, while I save his life every other day! If he’d just listen to me, he wouldn’t get nearly-killed half as much as he is now!”

All Gaius does is give him a pitying look at his outburst, before returning to his potion. “Well. There _have_ been rumors of magical activity in the Forrest of Ascetir for a long time. Maybe you just stumbled upon one of the more concentrated spots. What were you- Never mind, I shouldn’t ask. It is not my business what Prince Arthur does.”

Merlin scoffs at Gaius’ words, but doesn’t elaborate on the reason of their travels. If he’s being honest with himself, that’s mainly because he has no idea where they were actually heading, since _Arthur doesn’t tell him anything_. Not that he’s going to admit that to Gaius; he’s seen enough of the Eyebrow for the rest of _at least_ this week.

“What do you mean, concentrated spots?” he asks instead, frowning at the unfamiliar term.

Gaius looks at him briefly and sighs. “How is it you, _you_ , don’t know about that?” Merlin opens his mouth to retort, but Gaius doesn’t give him a chance as he continues talking. “There are certain spots where the magic of the land is more prominently present. It’s no wonder you can feel such spots, really, it surprises me this is the only time outside of the Isle of the Blessed you’ve noticed something like it. Anyway, sometimes those spots also attract magical creatures – such as serkets, among others. That’s likely the reason Arthur was attacked; he stepped into the spot, and they were defending it. You’re lucky you didn’t get stung yourself.”

Merlin can’t suppress a snort. “I fought them off. They were no match.”

Gaius throws him a look that speaks of awe mixed with concern, but Merlin ignores him. He may not understand fully what he’s capable of yet, but protecting Arthur from some magical creatures trying to end him is not exactly a new thing for him anymore.

“Can you heal him?” he asks, directing Gaius’ attention back to the important things at hand. Gaius sighs and walks back over to Arthur. He puts his hand on the prince’s forehead, but retreats it fast.

“He’s burning up. I’m afraid that concentration of magic may have had some extra effects, besides the creatures just showing up. I’ll have to consult my books. Keep him cool, will you?” He doesn’t wait for Merlin’s answer as he leaves to ask Geoffrey the old librarian for the needed books. Merlin takes a cloth and starts wiping the sweat from Arthur’s forehead. Even several inches from the prince’s skin, he can feel the heat radiating off of him. He hopes Gaius returns soon, _with_ a fool-proof solution.

-*-*-*-

Gaius doesn’t find a fool-proof solution. Moreover, he doesn’t even know what’s wrong with Arthur in the first place. A serket’s poison is not deadly if treated right and fast enough, and the timeframe doesn’t add up; Merlin had gotten Arthur back to Camelot with time to spare and he’d gotten all the needed remedies, and yet, Arthur doesn’t wake up. Merlin is growing more worried with every passing second he spends sitting at Arthur’s bedside. After Gaius determined he couldn’t do anything more for Arthur, they’d moved him to his own chambers; at least there, he has some privacy, even if he is out cold. Besides, Gaius needs his space to treat the various knights that come in regularly with broken bones and what-not.

It’s been almost two days, and Merlin has been putting it off, but he realizes he doesn’t have a choice; he needs the help of the Great Dragon, no matter how much he hates the blasted creature. If it comes to his own pride or Arthur’s life, though, there is not really much of a choice.

So that night, he descends the endless staircase, torch in his hand. The dragon is waiting for him on his rock, as if he was expecting Merlin to come. He probably was, Merlin thinks bitterly.

“Young warlock. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Merlin barely suppresses a groan. Oh, how he’d do anything to never see this beast again. “Arthur is dying. Do you know how to save him?”

The dragon shifts on his rock and lowers his head. “What happened to him?”

This time, Merlin _does_ groan. “We don’t have time for this! He was stung by serkets, but the remedies we’ve given him don’t work. Now, _do you know how to save him_?”

The dragon actually has the nerve to _chuckle_. “Don’t be so impatient, young warlock. It is not Arthur’s destiny to die now, and not from the sting of a serkets. I’ve told you this already. He is destined to-”

“I KNOW!” Merlin yells. The fire of the torch in his hand flares up with his magic. “Stop telling me things I don’t need to hear! Tell me how to save Arthur’s life!”

The dragon stands up on his hindlegs, his wings spread wide in a majestic gesture. Merlin unwillingly takes a step back at the sheer _power_ suddenly radiating from the dragon’s body. “Do not speak to me like that! You come here, disturbing my peace, and you dare demand things from me? Don’t forget, young warlock, you made me a promise. I don’t see you keeping it. Why would I help you, if you refuse to help me?”

His voice is booming in Merlin’s ears, and he has to take a moment to recover before he can answer. “I know what I promised! I will get you out of here! Just… give me some time! It’s not that easy to free a dragon from the deepest part of the castle!”

“As long as you keep coming here, demanding things from me without ever doing anything in return, I don’t see why I should be helping you at all!”

Merlin glowers at the dragon in front of him. All it gets him is an askew look and a scoff. “Arthur is dying. If I don’t heal him, there will be no future. You’re my last hope. Please.” He doesn’t care about the pleading tone of his voice anymore; all he wants is for the dragon to _listen_ to him.

“I’ve told you. It is not-”

Merlin screams. Loudly. “Stop repeating yourself! Just tell me the truth already! Help me!”

“No.”

Merlin blinks, taken aback by the finality in the dragon’s voice. “No? Why- We’re meant to be on the same side!”

“We’ve never been on the same side. Just because I am the one who told you about your destiny, doesn’t mean I share the same views as you do, young warlock. All I want is to get out of this cave; and yet, you’ve neglected to give me that one thing. So no, we’re not on the same side, and we never have been. You should remember that.” With that, he raises up, and with two mighty swings of his wings, he disappears.

Merlin yells after him to come back, but it doesn’t help; he’s made his point clear, and Merlin knows he won’t be able to do anything to change the dragon’s mind. With a curse shouted into the void, he turns around and returns to Gaius’ chambers. He’ll just have to come up with something else, then. Whatever it takes.

-*-*-*-

When Gwen finds him in Gaius’ quarters, Merlin is sleeping with his head on the table and a book open in front of him. He scatters to hide it, fully aware that it’s the spell book Gaius gave him, but Gwen just rolls her eyes at him.

“Come on. Do you think I’m stupid? No, don’t answer that, please. Have you found anything in there to help Arthur?”

Merlin stares at her with his mouth open, unable to produce any sounds that could count as human communication. Gwen squints her eyes and walks up to his table. She snaps her fingers in front of his eyes and Merlin startles. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, before managing to squeak some words out.

“I- You- What- Why- I didn’t- Huh?”

Gwen frowns and puts her hand on his forehead. “Are you sure you’re alright yourself? Do I need to get Gaius?”

Merlin swats her hand away. “No! I’m fine! I- How do you know?” He can’t help but ask the question, he has to know.

Gwen sighs and sits down on the chair across from him. “You’re not exactly subtle, Merlin, whatever you believer yourself. I saw you… in Ealdor, and then, when I started paying attention, here. In _Camelot_. Have you actually lost your mind, by the way? We’re in _Camelot_!”

Merlin swallows and looks away. Ealdor. Oh _gods_. “Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you confront me?”

Gwen shrugs. “I didn’t think you wanted to talk about it. I mean, it _is_ kind of a sensitive topic, isn’t it? Besides, Morgana thinks so too.”

Merlin snaps his eyes back to his friend. “Morgana?!” he shrieks. Gwen just nods, not bothering to elaborate. Merlin buries his face in his hands. “I can’t believe you both know about my magic. Oh gods. Gaius is going to kill me.”

Gwen pats his arm and then changes subjects rather drastically. “Yeah, good luck. So anyway, did you find anything to heal Arthur? Can you do anything?”

Merlin looks at her through his fingers. She looks sincere; and she’s still Gwen, what does he think? Of course he can trust her. He drops his hands and drags the book closer towards him. “I haven’t been able to find anything that could help him, and time’s running out. I can feel him fading away.” It tells him something that Gwen doesn’t even question that statement. Lucky for him, because he has no idea how to explain to her that he can feel the life leaving Arthur’s body, like they’re connected or something. Okay, to be honest, he doesn’t really want to think about that either. “I did find the reason it’s this bad, I think,” he adds, and at this, Gwen’s head snaps up, hope looming in her eyes.

“You did? What is it?”

“Because of the concentrated magic – erm, don’t ask – the serket’s sting was magical too. Well, you know, more magical than usual. As far as that’s possible from a magical creature. Is that-”

“Merlin.” Gwen stops his rambling by just saying his name and Merlin nods.

“Right. Sorry. So, basically, there’s an enhancer in the poison. A magical one. That’s the reason the remedies from Gaius don’t work; they’re sort of… blocked by the magic? I don’t know how to explain it.” He shrugs. He barely understands all this stuff himself, let alone that he’d be able to explain it to someone else. He has Gaius in his life for something.

Gwen tilts her head to one side. “Blocked by the magic… well, I’m no expert, of course, obviously, but… Tell me if this is stupid, or doesn’t make sense, but… if the magic in Arthur’s system is the problem, can’t you just… remove the magic? Is that possible?”

Merlin sits up straighter immediately, his eyes wide. “Gwen! You’re… you’re _brilliant_! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that! That makes so much sense! Well, to me it does. We should probably ask Gaius first, just to be sure. But I think it’s the best option I’ve come across all day! Where have you been all this time?!” Merlin gets up from his chair and walks around the table, throwing his arms around his friend in his enthusiasm.

Gwen flushes and hugs him back a little. “Erm… no problem? Do you really think that would work? It’s the first thing that came to my mind, does it actually make sense?”

Merlin lets go of his grip on her and laughs, feeling lighter than he has in days. Without answering her, he runs out of Gaius’ quarters, through the corridors straight to Arthur’s chambers. He bursts in without knocking, Gwen on his heels, but he stops dead in his tracks when he sees Uther and Gaius standing next to Arthur’s bed. Both men look up and Gaius’ eyes tell Merlin everything he needs to know.

“No,” is all he manages, his voice barely more than a whisper. “No!” he repeats, a little louder this time. Gwen peeks her head around him.

“Merlin? What’s the mat-” When she sees King Uther and Gaius, she trails off. Merlin feels her grip his tunic, but all other sounds are drowned out by the rushing of his blood in his ears. Without making a conscious decision, he walks over to the bed, on the opposite side of where Uther and Gaius are standing. He looks down at Arthur and feels his knees buckle. He can grip the headboard before he tumbles to the ground, but he can’t look away from the motionless form on the bed in front of him.

He looks so… Merlin can’t find any words to describe it, except _small_. Arthur looks _small_ , lying in his bed, covered by red sheets, his eyes closed and his face clear of all the usual lines of worry. He inhales sharply and his eyes prickle, but he holds it inside; he’s not going to cry in front of Uther. He looks up at Gaius and sees his own panic reflected on his mentor’s face. In that moment, he decides to screw it all. He gives a slight motion with his head towards Uther, and hopes Gaius will understand. To his surprise, it’s Gwen who understands instead.

“Sire,” she speaks up, making a small curtsy toward Uther. “Shall I accompany you to your chambers? I think Gaius will need some time to… determine some… things.” She shots a helpless look in Merlin’s direction, clearly not knowing what she’s saying, but Merlin doesn’t pay her much attention. All he registers is Uther making some kind of sniffling noise and then his steps retreating. Even before the king has left Arthur’s chambers, Merlin has lifted his hands above Arthur’s body, not willing to waste another second. Gwen trails after the King, looking over her shoulder once before closing the door behind her, leaving Merlin and Gaius alone with Arthur.

“Gaius?” Merlin whispers.

Gaius looks over at him. “He’s not breathing anymore, Merlin. I don’t know what you think you could do, but I’m afraid you’re too late. I’m sorry.”

Merlin closes his eyes, forcing back the tears threatening to spill over. “No,” he chokes out. “No, I won’t let him die. I know how to fix this. I don’t- No. I have to try.”

“What are you going to do? You don’t have the Cup of Life, and there is no other way to bring a man back from the dead.”

Merlin is already shaking his head while Gaius is talking. “No. We don’t need that. He’s not gone yet.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Extending his magic as far as he can, he reaches for Arthur, and for that force he felt before; Arthur’s life force, the one he’s sure is not gone yet. He reaches as far as he can, and there, just at the point he almost can’t reach it anymore, he feels a faint flicker of something. Focusing all his energy on that tiny flicker, he _pushes_ , while throwing his hands out in front of him. He doesn’t need to say a single word as he starts pulling on the flicker, which slowly, _slowly_ , but steadily starts growing bigger. Just when he feels like he can’t take it anymore, the flicker jumps from his grasp; but instead of disappearing again, it keeps growing, until it’s a steady pulsating light filling all of Merlin’s vision. Then, he uses Gwen’s advice; he reaches out with his magic again, and when he feels a foreign force, some kind of smudgy, ugly energy, he focuses his magic again and draws it toward him. It feels like mud, slippery and oily and dirty, constantly threatening to escape from his grasp, but Merlin is not one for giving up. Bit by tiny bit, he draws the energy out, until it’s right in front of him. Then, he pushes again, clasping his hands together, and closes it in, wrapping it in his magic. He feels the backlash of the energy exploding under the pressure and stumbles back, opening his eyes. Gaius is staring at him like he’s just grown a second head, but Merlin looks down at Arthur.

The prince inhales suddenly and opens his eyes. He tenses and then relaxes again, blinking his eyes. He lifts himself up on his elbows and looks around. When he locks eyes with Merlin, he smiles.

“Merlin?” he whispers softly.

Merlin gasps and covers his face with his hands. His body shocks with suppressed sobs when he hears Arthur’s voice, the stress finally leaving his body. His knees buckle and he lands on the floor.

“ _Mer_ lin. Are you crying?”

Merlin drags in a deep breath and steadies himself. “No,” he says unconvincingly, looking up at his prince from his position next to the bed. “But I _am_ glad you’re not dead, clotpole,” he adds, smirking through the tears still in his eyes.

Arthur huffs and then seems to realize they’re not alone in the room. “Gaius! Nice to see you again!” His tone is so obviously meant to clear the awkwardness that Merlin can’t help but snort, but Gaius just raises his Eyebrow.

“Welcome back, sire. I’ll… I’m just going to check you over once, and then I will get your father. I’m sure he will want to know the good news.” Gaius throws a warning look in Merlin’s direction and then starts examining Arthur. He methodically checks all he needs to check and then, with a – subtly – approving nod to Merlin, he says, “You’re totally fine, sire. Looks like you made a full recovery.”

Merlin can barely contain the grin that threatens to escape him at the praise of his mentor. Gaius turns around with the announcement that he’s going to get the king and disappears out the door without further ado. Merlin turns back to Arthur.

“Thank you,” is all the prince says. Merlin only has a few moments to start panicking before Arthur continues. “If you hadn’t taken me back here, I know I wouldn’t have made it.”

Merlin exhales and grins cheekily. “So, it wasn’t that bad that I came along after all, huh?” He laughs, leaning closer without noticing. He rests his hands on the side of the bed and looks at Arthur, checking if he’s really okay. Arthur sobers up at his examining look and studies his face. Then, Merlin barely has time to register the way Arthur’s eyes flick to his lips before he’s being pulled forward by his neckerchief, his lips landing on Arthur’s with force. He groans, but then returns the kiss passionately. He lowers himself on the bed in order to be able to lean in closer, and deepens the kiss.

Of course, that’s exactly the moment the door opens. He’s never moved faster, Merlin thinks as he stumbles backwards and lands on the floor – hard. Arthur flashes him a mischievous smile, full of promise, before turning to his father.

“Arthur! I see you’re fully recovered,” Uther says, before turning to look at Merlin lying in a heap on the floor.

Merlin would like to sink through the floor, like, right now, please.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! [This is my Tumblr](https://sam4587.tumblr.com/), in case you’re interested.


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